Insomnia
by my crooked heart
Summary: Sirius is always there for Remus, especially after a transformation. Oneshot, slash, Remus/Sirius.


**Disclaimer:** all characters, places etc. belong to J.K. Rowling.

**A/N:** this is my entry for the Fanfiction Factor contest. This fic is set during the Marauders Era and contains **SLASH**, so if you don't like that, then don't read. Er, if you do like it though, please do read it. And review. Because it's polite ;)

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><p><strong>Insomnia<strong>

It was just getting light when Sirius slid out of bed and tiptoed out of the Gryffindor common room. He had been up all night and had finally decided that he couldn't take it anymore – in his right hand, he clutched the Marauders Map, and in his left, James's Invisibility Cloak. It was early, so neither one should be necessary, but he didn't want to take any chances. He padded through the castle before coming to a stop in front of a statue of a one-eyed witch. Casting a furtive glance around, he pulled out his wand, tapped the witch's hump and muttered, "_Dissendium._"

The familiar passageway slid open and Sirius ducked inside, tucking the Cloak into his pocket. He walked quickly, but it still took an hour or so before he reached the end of the passageway. He emerged in the cellar of Honeydukes Sweetshop and crept quietly out of the shop, taking care not to wake the owners. Once he was out in the open air, he removed the Invisibility Cloak and covered his body with it. He didn't want any of the villagers spotting a Hogwarts student out of bounds.

His destination stood on a hillside not far from Honeydukes – the dilapidated building that the villagers had quickly dubbed the Shrieking Shack. Sirius spied it from beneath the shimmery folds of the Cloak and quickened his pace. He reached the entrance in no time and slid inside, shutting the door behind him with a soft click. He could hear muffled groans coming from the second floor. Sirius frowned and ascended the stairs, pinpointing the noise immediately. It was coming from one of the bedrooms. He held his breath and turned the knob, letting himself into a tiny room which was empty save for a small, huddled figure in the centre of the floor.

Sirius's breath caught in his throat. "Moony," he whispered.

The figure stilled, before sucking in a long, laborious breath and releasing it with a shudder. Sirius's heart clenched as Remus curled up, his knees drawn up to his chest and his head buried in his knees. Tremors ran through his body and the sound of his harsh, painful breaths filled the room. Sirius slid out from beneath the Invisibility Cloak and left it in a heap by the door.

"Moony," Sirius repeated, stepping closer to the other Gryffindor. "Remus. It's me. It's Sirius. Are you alright?"

Remus whimpered and tightened his grip on his knees. He was stark naked and shivering wildly. Sirius stepped closer, swallowing hard.

"Moony," he said once more, keeping his voice as calm and controlled as he could. "I'm coming over to you, alright, mate? Don't attack me." The words sounded stupid coming from Sirius's mouth. On a normal day, the idea of Remus attacking Sirius was laughable – but on a day like today, Sirius was never quite sure of Remus would recognize him enough to know that he was safe.

Sirius crept closer and closer until finally, he was standing over Remus's shaking body. Sirius dropped to his knees and held out his hand, hesitating before pressing it to Remus's head. The other boy yelped at the touch and started, before settling down and whimpering lightly. Sirius threaded his fingers through Remus's dirty, tangled brown hair before sliding his hand down so that his palm was pressed against Remus's forehead. He was hot to the touch and shaking wildly. Sirius glanced around the room before spotting a tattered pair of robes in the corner. He reached for his wand and muttered "_Accio_." The robes floated slowly through the air, coming to rest on Remus's shaking body.

"Remus," Sirius whispered, recalling countless other mornings where he had repeated this ritual. "It's nearly over. You're going to be okay, I promise." He ran his hands over Remus's shaking body before hefting him up by the shoulders and adjusting their positions so that Remus's head was cradled in Sirius's lap.

They sat there for a long time, Sirius threading his fingers through Remus's hair, Remus shivering like it was the dead of winter. Eventually, the tremors stilled, and Remus sat up. His eyes were bleary and his hair was sticking out from Sirius's efforts. He blinked, glancing around the room before his gaze came to a stop on Sirius.

"Sirius?" he croaked, his voice dry and cracked. "Is it over?"

"It's over," Sirius replied, unable to stop the relief from flooding into his voice. "Madam Pomfrey will be here soon to take you back to the castle. I just didn't want you to be alone when you came out of it."

He didn't know why he bothered with the explanation – he did this every time the full moon rolled around, and Remus never asked for one, anyway.

The other boy yawned widely and winced, shaking out his limbs with a grimace. "It was a bad one," he said at Sirius's questioning gaze. "The villagers will be talking about it for months."

A lump rose in Sirius's throat. He hated that Remus had to be alone when he transformed. He always insisted that it didn't matter and he was used to it, but it was still a thorn in Sirius's side. James's too, and probably Peter's. None of them liked the idea of their friend spending his transformations alone, biting and scratching himself until his skin was bloody and raw. Sirius, being the only one who knew where Remus _spent_ his transformations, hated it the most. He longed to change things.

That was why they'd been working on the project. It was so close to being finished. Soon, Sirius wouldn't have to sneak out in the mornings to find Remus – he could spend the full moon with him instead.

Almost as if he'd read the other boy's mind, Remus looked up.

"How is it going?" he asked tentatively. His expression was conflicted, though Sirius knew why. Remus felt horribly guilty that his friends were breaking the law for him, but at the same time, he desperately wanted – no, _needed_ – someone to be with him during the full moon.

"It's almost finished," Sirius replied, smiling at the way Remus's face lit up and the way he tried to hide it. "We'll have it worked out by the end of the year, Moony. I promise."

He reached out and pulled the other boy into a warm hug, taking care not to jostle him or his sore muscles. Their arms were still wrapped around each other when they heard the front door of the shack creak open. Sirius glanced at the door and then back at Remus, who was wearing the pained expression he always wore when the time came for him to return to Hogwarts after a transformation.

Sirius smirked. It was adorable. Madam Pomfrey's footsteps grew closer.

"I'd better go," Sirius whispered. Remus nodded, though he held onto Sirius's hand when the other boy tried to pull away. Sirius looked down at their clasped fingers and frowned. "What's wrong, Moony?"

Remus hesitated and then leaned in to press his lips lightly against Sirius's. He pulled away almost immediately, his cheeks flushing dark red, and murmured to his feet, "You'd better go."

Sirius grinned widely and grabbed Remus's chin, tilting it up and giving him a _real_ kiss. "I'll see you at the castle," he murmured, retrieving the Invisibility Cloak and slipping it over his head just as the doorknob turned. Madam Pomfrey inched her way into the room and Sirius took the opportunity to slip out.

He hurried back to the castle and snuck back into the dormitory. James and Peter were still fast asleep. Sirius replaced the Invisibility Cloak, laid the Marauders Map on his nightstand and climbed beneath the sheets of his four-poster bed. He lay awake until he heard the door creak open and then smiled, listening to the sounds of Remus clambering into bed.

And then, finally, he fell asleep to the sound of his friends' heavy breathing.

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><p>I love Remus and Sirius (and reviews :P). That is all.<p> 


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